Showing papers in "Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology in 2009"
TL;DR: In this paper, the impact of mass media on negative body image and disordered eating in females has been investigated, with an emphasis on longitudinal investigations, studies of media literacy as a form of prevention and clarification of psychosocial processes that moderate and mediate media effects.
Abstract: This article reviews research pertaining to mass media as a causal risk factor for negative body image and disordered eating in females. The specific purpose is to clarify the impact of mass media by applying seven criteria that extend those of Kraemer et al. (1997) and Stice (2002). Although media effects clearly meet a majority of the criteria, this analysis indicates that, currently, engagement with mass media is probably best considered a variable risk factor that might well be later shown to be a causal risk factor. Recommendations are made for further research, with an emphasis on longitudinal investigations, studies of media literacy as a form of prevention, and clarification of psychosocial processes that moderate and mediate media effects.
471 citations
TL;DR: For example, this article found that a goal-specific measure of hope (particularly the agency subscale) predicted goal attainment better than the hope scale (Snyder et al., 1991), which measures hope regarding goals in general.
Abstract: Despite the impressive literature addressing Snyder's (1994) Hope Theory, the theory's basic hypothesis that hope predicts goal attainment has never been tested. We provide a longitudinal test of this prediction among 162 college students. Participants completed measures of hope and goal importance at the beginning of the semester. Three months later, they completed measures of goal attainment and hope again. Results indicate that a goal-specific measure of hope (particularly the agency subscale) predicted goal attainment better than the Hope Scale (Snyder et al., 1991), which measures hope regarding goals in general. The influence of Time 1 goal importance upon Time 2 attainment was largely mediated through goal-specific hope. Moreover, participants appeared to adjust their Time 2 hope levels based on their actual goal attainment.
171 citations
TL;DR: For example, this article found that a lack of life meaning and purpose causes boredom, as well as other types of negative affect such as depression or anxiety. But the relationship between life meaning, depression, and anxiety has not been investigated using a controlled, quantitative research design.
Abstract: Existential theory and previous qualitative research have suggested that a lack of life meaning and purpose causes boredom, as well as other types of negative affect such as depression or anxiety. Although these variables have been shown to be correlated at one point in time, the relationships among these constructs have not been investigated using a controlled, quantitative research design. In Study 1a (N = 131), boredom was shown to be related to, yet psychometrically distinct from, life meaning, depression, and anxiety. In Study 1b (N = 88), life meaning significantly predicted changes in boredom across time while depression and anxiety did not. In addition, boredom was a significant predictor of changes in life meaning across time, while depression and anxiety were not. Finally, in Study 2 (N = 102), manipulating perceptions of life meaning significantly changed boredom, while a manipulation of mood did not. The nature of the relationship between life meaning and boredom, as well as some clinical impl...
167 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relation of coping strategies, social support, and hope to psychological distress among Hurricane Katrina survivors, and found that avoidant coping was positively related to PTSD symptoms and general psychological distress, hope was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms, and problem-focused coping was associated with many PTSD symptoms.
Abstract: This study examined the relation of coping strategies, social support, and hope to psychological distress [symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and general distress] among Hurricane Katrina survivors. The research questions concerned whether different coping strategies (problem-focused or avoidant coping), perceptions of social support, and hope were associated with psychological distress within this sample, as well as whether level of hope moderated the relations between coping/social support and psychological distress. Results indicate that avoidant coping was positively related to PTSD symptoms and general psychological distress, hope was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms and general psychological distress, problem-focused coping was associated with many PTSD symptoms, and social support was associated with low general psychological distress. Hope moderated the relation between avoidant coping and general psychological distress. These results are important for extending research on v...
166 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the role of processing in women's responses to thin idealized images of beauty was investigated, where a sample of 144 women viewed magazine advertisements containing either thin ideal or product images.
Abstract: The present study aimed to investigate the role of processing in women's responses to thin idealized images of beauty. A sample of 144 women viewed magazine advertisements containing either thin ideal or product images. Instructional set was manipulated with three levels: control, social comparison, and fantasy instructions. It was found that exposure to thin ideal images led to increased negative mood and body dissatisfaction, while instructional set had its effect on positive mood and body dissatisfaction. For thin ideal images, social comparison instructions led to greater negative mood and body dissatisfaction, while fantasy instructions led to improved positive mood. Importantly, regression analyses indicated that both comparison processing (negatively) and fantasy processing (positively) were associated with women's response to thin ideal images. It was concluded that the nature of the processing women engage in is crucial to their response to thin ideal images.
157 citations
TL;DR: This paper developed and tested a moderated mediation model with internalization of the thin beauty ideal as moderator, and activation of weight-related self-discrepancies as mediating mechanism through which exposure leads to heightened body-focused negative affect.
Abstract: Previous experimental research demonstrates that exposure to ultra-thin media models has negative effects on many women's body image, but neglects underlying psychological processes. We develop and test a moderated mediation model with internalization of the thin beauty ideal as moderator, and activation of weight-related self-discrepancies as mediating mechanism through which exposure leads to heightened body-focused negative affect. We demonstrate that thin-internalizers' higher negative affect after exposure to advertisements featuring thin models is fully mediated by weight-related self-discrepancy activation (N = 87; Study 1). These findings replicate in a larger sample of women (N = 155; Study 2) and hold regardless of whether or not thin models' body size was emphasized during exposure. Implications for interventions are discussed.
156 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a critical analysis of the evidence base for a causal link between media and body image is presented, highlighting the importance not only of individual differences, but also psychological processes related to self and identity.
Abstract: Body image has emerged as a core aspect of mental and physical well-being. Informed by sociocultural theory, a rapidly growing body of research addresses the question of whether body perfect ideals in the mass media are a core risk factor for negative body image, particularly in women. This work has moved beyond assessments of whether or not negative exposure effects occur so that significant progress has been made toward identifying diverse factors that make individuals more or less vulnerable to body perfect ideals in the media. This special issue examines and extends this work in various ways. It offers a critical analysis of the evidence base for a causal link between media and body image. It presents new findings which support a qualified and complex picture of media effects or influences, highlighting the importance not only of individual differences, but also psychological processes, related to self and identity. Thus, it aims to contribute toward a more theoretically informed understanding of vulnerability factors through a focus on self, identification with the thin ideal, and related processes.
152 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that students with a learning disability were more likely to possess low academic self-efficacy, to believe that intelligence was fixed and nonmalleable, to prefer performance over learning goals, and to interpret the exertion of effort as meaning they possessed limited levels of ability.
Abstract: This study examined whether youth with learning disabilities reported more maladaptive cognitive self-regulatory characteristics known to influence learning motivation and performance. Specifically, 1,518 sixth-through twelfth-graders from two separate rural school districts with and without learning disabilities completed measures of academic self-efficacy, theories of intelligence, academic goal preferences, and attributions for exerting effort in academic contexts. We found that students with a learning disability were more likely to possess low academic self-efficacy, to believe that intelligence was fixed and nonmalleable, to prefer performance over learning goals, and to interpret the exertion of effort as meaning they possessed limited levels of ability. Theories of intelligence and academic self-efficacy were also found to influence goal preferences and ability attributions. Finally, mediational findings provided strong support for the notion that differences in goal preferences and effort attribu...
152 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted a thought experiment in which they were asked to imagine feeling depressed, seeking help from a doctor who diagnosed them with major depressive disorder, and receiving, in counterbalanced order, a chemical imbalance and biopsychosocial explanation for their symptoms.
Abstract: Brain disease models of psychopathology, such as the popular “chemical imbalance” explanation of depression, have been widely disseminated in an attempt to reduce the stigma of mental illness. ironically, such models appear to increase prejudicial attitudes among the general public toward persons with mental disor ders. However, little is known about how biochemical causal explanations affect the perceptions of individuals seeking mental health treatment. Ninety under graduate students participated in a thought experiment in which they were asked to imagine feeling depressed, seeking help from a doctor who diagnosed them with major depressive disorder, and receiving, in counterbalanced order, a chemical imbalance and biopsychosocial explanation for their symptoms. ratings of each explanation’s credibility and perceptions of self-stigma (e.g., blame), prognosis, and treatment expectancies were obtained. Compared to the biopsychosocial model, the chemical imbalance model was associated with significantly less self-stigma but also significantly lower credibility, a worse expected prognosis, and the perception that psychosocial interventions would be ineffective. the chemical imbalance explanation appears to reduce blame at the cost of fostering pessimism about recovery and the efficacy of nonbiological treatments. research is needed on how the chemical imbalance model affects the clinical response of patients receiving mental health treatment.
144 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the link between self-concept clarity, internalization of societal standards, and body image and dieting concerns, and found that lower selfconcept clarity predicted a greater degree of internalization in societal standards for women, but not for men.
Abstract: Without a clearly defined sense of self, individuals might seek out external sources to provide coherence to their identity. One such external source is society's standards of attractiveness (i.e., thinness for women, muscularity for men). The present research examined the link between self-concept clarity, internalization of societal standards, and body image and dieting concerns. Study 1 (n = 322) showed that lower self-concept clarity predicted a greater degree of internalization of societal standards for women, but not for men. Internalization for women and men predicted body image and dieting concerns, which in turn predicted dieting behavior. Study 2 (n = 175) showed that factors such as conformity and body weight contingency of self-worth mediated the associations that were observed in Study 1. Women's self-concept can play a role in the development of body image problems by making them vulnerable to (or by buffering them against) the internalization of societal standards of attractiveness.
136 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, regret was associated with anhedonic depression and anxiety, but not with anxiety arousal, and the interaction between regret and repetitive thought (i.e., repetitive regret) was highly predictive of general distress.
Abstract: Past research has established a connection between regret (negative emotions connected to cognitions about how past actions might have achieved better outcomes) and both depression and anxiety. In the present research, the relations between regret, repetitive thought, depression, and anxiety were examined in a nationally representative telephone survey. Although both regret and repetitive thought were associated with general distress, only regret was associated with anhedonic depression and anxious arousal. Further, the interaction between regret and repetitive thought (i.e., repetitive regret) was highly predictive of general distress but not of anhedonic depression nor anxious arousal. These relations were strikingly consistent across demographic variables such as sex, race/ethnicity, age, education, and income.
TL;DR: The potential importance of targeted rejection as a marker of hastened depression onset is highlighted and how refining characterizations of stress may advance the understanding of depression is demonstrated.
Abstract: Although severe life stress frequently precipitates the onset of major depression, little is known about the basic nature of stressors in this general category of adversity and how exposure to different life events might be related to clinical aspects of the disorder. We addressed this issue by introducing, and examining the effects of, targeted rejection (TR), which involves the exclusive, active, and intentional social rejection of an individual by others. Twenty-seven adults with major depressive disorder were administered an interview-based measure of life stress. Severe life events that occurred prior to the onset of depression were subsequently coded as TR or as non-TR. Participants who experienced a pre-onset severe TR event became depressed approximately three times faster than did their non-TR counterparts. These findings highlight the potential importance of TR as a marker of hastened depression onset and demonstrate how refining characterizations of stress may advance our understanding of depression.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used daily diary methods to assess the effects of heterosexist daily hassles on lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (n = 69).
Abstract: Past research examining whether experiencing heterosexism is related to negative psychological outcomes has yielded mixed results. The present research used daily diary methods to assess the effects of heterosexist daily hassles on lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (n = 69). The results indicated unique effects of heterosexist and nonheterosexist hassles on well-being. More experiences with heterosexist hassles increased high-arousal negative affect (i.e., increased anger and anxious mood) whereas more experiences with nonheterosexist hassles more generally increased negative affect (i.e., increased daily reports of anger, and depressed mood and decreased daily reports of relaxation and positive affect). Heterosexist hassles also uniquely predicted outcomes associated with being lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Specifically, experiencing heterosexism decreased private evaluation of being lesbian, gay, or bisexual and influenced meta-perceptions of lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. Lastly, being more strongly ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated whether a dysfunctional attachment system may be one such factor, by examining how adult attachment orientations (dimensions of attachment anxiety and avoidance) relate to OCD-related cognitions, OCD symptoms, and depression.
Abstract: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most disabling and highly prevalent anxiety disorders. Cognitive models implicate maladaptive beliefs such as inflated sense of responsibility, perfectionism, importance/control of thoughts in the maintenance of the disorder, but little research has investigated factors that may lead to these beliefs. This paper investigated whether a dysfunctional attachment system may be one such factor, by examining how adult attachment orientations (dimensions of attachment anxiety and avoidance) relate to OCD-related cognitions, OCD symptoms, and depression. Using structural equation modeling in a student sample (N = 446), the present study found evidence for a mediational model, where attachment dimensions contributed to OCD symptoms via OCD-related cognitions, while controlling for depression. The paper discusses the association between adult attachment orientations and OCD symptoms in the context of current cognitive-behavioral theories of OCD.
TL;DR: The authors examined both positive (mental health, personal growth) and negative (perceived costs) implications of the transition to motherhood, as well as the contribution of internal resources (self-esteem, self-mastery, attachment style), external resources (marital relationship, maternal grandmother's support), cognitive appraisals (threat, challenge, selfefficacy), and coping strategies (emotion-focused, problem focused, support seeking).
Abstract: The study examined both positive (mental health, personal growth) and negative (perceived costs) implications of the transition to motherhood, as well as the contribution of internal resources (self-esteem, self-mastery, attachment style), external resources (marital relationship, maternal grandmother's support), cognitive appraisals (threat, challenge, self-efficacy), and coping strategies (emotion-focused, problem-focused, support seeking).
TL;DR: This paper explored the links between bullying and forgiveness, and presented a new model of the pathways linking forgiveness and coping, and proposed that the process of forgiveness could act as an effective coping resource, allowing students to replace bullying-induced negative emotions with other-focused positive emotions.
Abstract: In recent decades, school bullying has come to be recognized as a serious problem for students across the world. A substantial body of research has demonstrated that school bullying leads to significant negative outcomes for its targets. Bullying is also difficult to combat, with even the best interventions achieving only limited success. Thus, it is inevitable that some students will be bullied. This is why many researchers have investigated various coping strategies by which students might deal with the harmful effects of bullying. It is proposed that the process of forgiveness could act as an effective coping resource, allowing students to replace bullying-induced negative emotions with other-focused positive emotions. Indeed, bullying is characterized by interpersonal transgressions, and forgiveness has been conceptualized as a coping response to precisely such offenses. This paper explores the links between bullying and forgiveness, presents a new model of the pathways linking forgiveness and coping,...
TL;DR: For example, this article found that Bisexuals reported more conflict regarding their sexual orientation, were less open about their orientation, and reported less minority stress associated with violence and discrimination.
Abstract: The current study answers a need to provide information about bisexual as differentiated from gay/lesbian individuals and to increase understanding of the sexual minority stress experienced by bisexual individuals. Men and women who identified themselves as either bisexual or exclusively Lesbian/Gay (LG) were recruited nationwide and completed questionnaire measures of stressors associated with sexual orientation, openness about sexual orientation, conflict about sexual orientation, and depressive symptoms. Bisexual participants were younger and more likely to be female compared to LG participants. Bisexuals reported more conflict regarding their sexual orientation, were less open about their sexual orientation, and reported less minority stress associated with violence and discrimination. There were no differences in depressive symptoms for bisexual vs. LG participants. Bisexuals who were more open reported more conflict about their sexual orientation. Bisexuals who reported more stress associated with v...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between social support and objective task performance in a field setting and found that social support moderated (buffered) relationship between stressors and task performance.
Abstract: This study examined the relationship between social support and objective task performance in a field setting. a sample of 197 participants, mean age 23.13 years (Sd 3.56) completed measures of stressors, social support, and self-efficacy prior to performance. moderated hierarchical regression analysis revealed significant (p < .05) main effects for stressors (R 2 = .12) and social support ( ∆R 2 = .14) in relation to performance, in the hypothesized directions. a significant interaction (∆R 2 = .06) suggested that social support moderated (buffered) the relationship between stressors and task performance. moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that social support was associated with increases in self-efficacy, and selfefficacy was associated with enhanced performance, but that this effect was only salient at moderate to high levels of stressors.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed longitudinal data (baseline, 5 year follow-up) for 884 children (53% female, M age = 9.75 years) and their primary caregivers and found that parent-reported child behavioral problems predicted parents' educational expectations for their children over and above the children's achievement scores.
Abstract: Parental and child expectations of educational achievement have each been linked to a range of beneficial child outcomes. less is known about the formation of educational expectations, the potential biasing impact of child behavior problems on these expectations, and the prospective influence of expectations on child performance. to test these links, we analyzed longitudinal data (baseline, 5 year follow-up) for 884 children (53% female; M age =9.75 years) and their primary caregivers. Parent-reported child behavioral problems predicted parents’ educational expectations for their children over and above the children’s achievement scores. Parental expectations influenced children’s own expectations, an effect partially mediated by parental involvement in educational activities. Parental educational expectations also influenced children’s academic performance five years later, even controlling for the children’s baseline academic achievement. this influence was partially mediated by children’s expectations; both parent and child expectations had substantial independent effects on academic achievement. these data suggest that parents appear to view child behavior problems as indicative of persistent underlying characteristics, and adjust educational expectations downwards. lower expectations prospectively reduced child academic performance above and beyond indicators of child competence (such as past performance). these data indicate the importance of parent appraisals of child behavior and suggest avenues for intervention.
TL;DR: In this article, a set of studies first investigated whether there was a link between stigmatizing attitudes toward people with psychological disorders and one's own level of psychological distress and explored the role of psychological flexibility as a possible facet of this relation.
Abstract: Although the negative consequences of stigmatization on those with psychological disorders have been well-documented, little is known about the impact of stigmatization on individuals who report having such stigmatizing attitudes. The present set of studies first investigated whether there was a link between stigmatizing attitudes toward people with psychological disorders and one's own level of psychological distress. In addition, psychological flexibility was explored as a possible facet of this relation. As predicted, results revealed that there was a significant positive correlation between mental health stigma and psychological distress. Furthermore, the results suggested that psychological flexibility may be a shared feature of mental health stigma and psychological distress. Exploring the role of psychological flexibility appears to be a promising construct for conceptualizing and treating mental health stigma.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors tested the hypothesis that experimentally induced security changes people's response to psychological pain (operationalized in terms of hurt feelings) in ways that depend on their attachment style.
Abstract: We tested the hypothesis that experimentally induced security changes people's response to psychological pain (operationalized in terms of hurt feelings) in ways that depend on their attachment style. Seventy undergraduates were randomly assigned to receive (a) security-enhancing subliminal primes (the words love, secure, affection) or (b) neutral subliminal primes (lamp, staple, building). As expected, interactions emerged between priming condition and attachment style. In the neutral priming condition, avoidant attachment was associated with a tendency to dismiss hurtful events, inhibit expressions of distress, and react hostilely; as expected, security priming caused avoidance to be associated with greater openness to the pain of a hurtful experience. A significant interaction also emerged between attachment anxiety and security priming. In the neutral priming condition, attachment anxiety was associated with less constructive reactions and more intense feelings of rejection, more crying, and more nega...
TL;DR: For instance, this paper found that adolescents perceived hierarchy in their social ecology, agreed on where others stood in the social hierarchy, and knew their own place in a social hierarchy; adolescents obtained prominence, respect, and influence by being likable; this was evident both from the perceiver's point of view, in the impressions of reputation and likability that each adolescent provided.
Abstract: Social competition theorists propose: (a) social hierarchies form spontaneously when resources are scarce; (b) social rank in the human hierarchy depends partly on attention-holding; and (c) depression constitutes an involuntary response to low social rank, entrapment, and defeat. These propositions were tested in a sample of 121 students in grades 7–11 at an all-boys school. Students completed sociometric evaluations of their classmates' reputation and likability, as well as self-report surveys assessing attachment security, social support, self-esteem, and depression. Empirical support for all three propositions was obtained. First, adolescents perceived hierarchy in their social ecology, agreed on where others stood in the social hierarchy, and knew their own place in the social hierarchy. Second, adolescents obtained prominence, respect, and influence by being likable; this was evident both from the perceiver's point of view, in the impressions of reputation and likability that each adolescent provide...
TL;DR: In this article, the extent to which self-stigmatizing attitudes mediated the relationship between depression severity and avoidance was examined, and the authors found that selfstigma plays an important role in exacerbating avoidance behaviors within the context of depressive symptoms.
Abstract: This study examined the extent to which self-stigmatizing attitudes mediated the relationship between depression severity and avoidance. Participants were 167 community members with elevated depressive symptoms who completed a questionnaire packet that included measures of depression severity, self-stigma, treatment stigma, previous stigmatizing experiences, and behavioral avoidance. Self-stigma, treatment stigma, and stigmatizing experiences were found to partially mediate the relationship between depression severity and avoidance. Findings from the current study support a model in which an individual experiences depressive symptoms, which leads to stigmatizing experiences and an increase in the salience of stigmatizing attitudes about depression, which in turn leads to avoidance. Depression self-stigma plays an important role in exacerbating avoidance behaviors within the context of depressive symptoms. Future research would benefit from examining depression self-stigma as a mediator between depression ...
TL;DR: This paper found that the psychological presence of family provides a temporary increase in self-control, and that selfcontrol was affected by thoughts of the family, rather than motivation, when individual differences in eating restraint were controlled.
Abstract: Three studies show that the psychological presence of family provides a temporary increase in self-control. In Study 1, participants (n = 79) subliminally primed with the names of their family members subsequently performed better at an open-ended language task relative to participants primed with neutral words. Study 2 ruled out two plausible alternative interpretations of this result. Participants in Study 2 (n = 139) who wrote a short essay about a family member with whom they had a good relationship demonstrated more self-control than those who wrote about a humorous episode or an enemy relationship, as measured by their performance on a simple but tedious math test. Study 3 was designed to demonstrate that self-control, rather than motivation, was affected by thoughts of the family. Participants (n = 66) primed with a visual cue of a family member ate fewer cookies than those not primed—when individual differences in eating restraint were controlled. The theoretical and applied implications of these ...
TL;DR: Examination of the relationship between mindfulness and alcohol consumption among college students indicated that greater mind/body awareness was associated with more alcohol use in men and women, and non-attachment to thoughts wasassociated with less drinking in men.
Abstract: This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between mindfulness and alcohol consumption among college students, with enhancement and coping motives evaluated as potential mediators. Differences between men and women in drinking and mindfulness (mind/body awareness specifically) were also considered. Undergraduate students (n = 212, 51% male) completed a survey that included measures of mindfulness, drinking motives, and drinking. Results indicated that greater mind/body awareness was associated with more alcohol use in men and women, and non-attachment to thoughts was associated with less drinking in men. Furthermore, enhancement but not coping motives were found to mediate these associations for men only. Results are discussed in terms of the theoretical implications for understanding the relationship between mindfulness and alcohol consumption.
TL;DR: Cl cluster analysis revealed four unique patterns of primary and secondary control strategy use among 190 very old (79‐98 years) community-dwelling adults.
Abstract: As people move into advanced old age, they face increasing levels of age-related activity restriction. It becomes important that older adults adjust their goal-striving to age-related control restrictions in order to optimize physical and psychological well-being in this advanced and !nal stage of life. Older adults may use a variety of different control strategies to adjust to age-related activity restriction, initially in attempts to accomplish tasks, and then to ameliorate the negative psychological consequences of being unable to do so. In this study, cluster analysis revealed four unique patterns of primary and secondary control strategy use among 190 very old (79‐98 years) community-dwelling adults. The majority of individuals were classi!ed in a Primary Control Group (42.1%) characterized by continued task persistence. Second, a Multi-Strategy Group (16.3%) endorsed a combination of modi!ed primary control strategies and compensatory secondary strategies. Third, a Relinquished Control Group (22.1%) was characterized by the abandonment of primary strategies and only modest use of supplemental compensatory secondary strategies. Finally, a Failure to Compensate Group (19.5%) This study was supported by a Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) doctoral scholarship and a Manitoba Graduate Studentship (MGS) to the first author, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) operating grant and a Mid Career Award in Aging to the third author, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) doctoral scholarship to the fourth author, and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) operating grant #410-2007-2225 to the
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the role of religiosity in posttraumatic growth in Israeli religious, traditional, and secular adolescents (n = 1482; aged 16) who were exposed to terror events.
Abstract: This study examines the role of religiosity in posttraumatic growth in Israeli religious, traditional, and secular adolescents (n = 1482; aged 16) who were exposed to terror events. Results showed that religious youth reported higher levels of growth than secular youth. Among secular and traditional youth posttraumatic symptoms and an unwillingness to forgive were positively associated with growth. For religious youth forgiveness was positively associated with growth. Fear of terror was positively associated with growth across the groups. These findings imply that since the predictors of growth vary by religiosity, it has different meanings depending on the religiosity of the youth. Growth seems to be a function of distress among secular and traditional but not religious youth. This extends our understanding of the role of religiosity in the posttraumatic growth process among adolescents following terror.
TL;DR: This paper explored the relationship between eating, weight, and shape (EWS) concerns and romantic relationships in college women and their partners, and found partial support for the idea that EWS constructs would predict changes in relationship functioning; specifically, several types of women's EWS concerns predicted changes in women's and men's relationship outcomes two months later.
Abstract: This study explored the relations between eating, weight, and shape (EWS) concerns and romantic relationships in college women and their partners. Eighty-eight heterosexual couples (176 individuals) completed two assessments spaced two months apart. Results indicated that neither women's relationship functioning nor perceptions of their partners' desired changes in their bodies predicted changes in women's EWS concerns. However, after controlling for women's values, men's relationship functioning, as well as men's desired change in their partners' bodies, predicted changes in women's EWS concerns. There was partial support for the idea that EWS constructs would predict changes in relationship functioning; specifically, several types of women's EWS concerns predicted changes in women's and men's relationship outcomes two months later. Additionally, after controlling for women's perceptions, men's desired change in their partners' bodies predicted change in women's relationship outcomes. Overall, this study...
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of external and internal barriers, intimacy, distancing, and obligation vs. voluntary contact in relationship maintenance within ambivalent (highly positive and negative) and supportive (primarily positive) friendships was examined.
Abstract: Social relationships are a fundamental part of our lives and may have both positive and negative effects on physical health; thus, this study examined how and why individuals would maintain ambivalent relationships, as previous research indicates that such relationships may be potentially detrimental. Specifically we examined the influence of external and internal barriers, intimacy, distancing, and obligation vs. voluntary contact in relationship maintenance within ambivalent (highly positive and negative) and supportive (primarily positive) friendships. Participants included 87 male and 138 female undergraduates (N = 225), who were randomly assigned to rate either a supportive or ambivalent friend on measures of relationship maintenance. Results suggest that ambivalent relationships are not maintained primarily due to obligation or external barriers, but rather are viewed as voluntary associations maintained primarily because of internal factors such as commitment to the relationship. The positive aspec...
TL;DR: This paper examined the relationship between the pursuit of financial goals and subjective well-being, and showed that the quest for a happier self through money is a particularly negative predictor of well being.
Abstract: There is consistent evidence for a moderate negative association between the pursuit of financial goals and subjective well-being (SWB; cf. Dittmar, 2008; Kasser & Kanner, 2004). However, there is some evidence to suggest that this negative link may hold only with respect to particular motives for wanting money (Sheldon, Ryan, Deci, & Kasser, 2004; Srivastava, Locke, & Bartol, 2001). We propose the quest for a happier self and success as two additional motives not examined previously, and examine a model in which the financial goal-SWB link is reduced to nonsignificance once money-motives are taken into account. Structural equation modeling in two studies, one with student samples from the United Kingdom and Iceland (N = 145, N = 139) and one with professional employees in the United Kingdom (N = 261), provides empirical support for the model, and demonstrates that the quest for a happier self through money is a particularly negative predictor of well-being.